Fox cancels reality show ‘Utopia’

It’s official: Fox is canceling the reality show “Utopia.”

The unscripted series, the latest endeavor from “Big Brother” creator John de Mol, followed 15 people who tried to rebuild a “perfect society” while locked away from routine civilization.

De Mol’s Dutch version of the show was a hit when it premiered in the Netherlands in January, but ratings soon declined.

Still, Fox made a considerable investment in the heavily-marketed show. Some speculated the price tag for the series could have been as high as $50 million, but the network denied it was that expensive.

In September, the premiere attracted 4.6 million viewers and a rating of 1.9 among the key 18- to 49-year-old demographic, according to Nielsen.

The network had originally planned to air “Utopia” on Fridays for only the first few weeks, with Tuesday as its permanent home. But week after week, the show struggled with ratings, leading Fox to yank the series from its Tuesday night slot and move it back to Friday.

Some fans of the show took to Facebook and Twitter to lament the show’s cancellation.

“Keep it on the Internet at least!” one fan wrote on the show’s Facebook page.

“Don’t take my Utopia away!” another fan said on Twitter.

The network said the live-streaming feeds from the “Utopia” compound will conclude Sunday. Beginning Nov. 7, the show will be replaced by encores of “MasterChef Junior.”

For more news on the entertainment industry, follow me @saba_h.